Operations

911	Number of personnel (international and national)
43	Number of offices
1.9 MIO.	Estimated number of people of concern (PoC)
USD 260.4 MIO.	Overall funding requirements (ExCom-approved 2016 budget)

A. Operational Environment and Strategy

In addition to hosting many protracted refugee situations, countries in the subregion continue to suffer face challenges relating to slow economic growth and volatile socio-political conditions.
 
In 2016, presidential elections are due to be held in Benin, Cabo Verde, the Gambia and Ghana. There are concerns that in some cases the elections could trigger social unrest and forced displacement. Challenging economic conditions will also continue to affect displacement trends. For Senegalese refugees in the Gambia and Guinea-Bissau, weak governance continues to create challenges for local integration. For other groups, such as Mauritanian refugees in Senegal and Ghanaian refugees in northern Togo, durable solutions remain out of reach. With the ongoing insecurity resulting from the Central African Republic and Nigeria situations, governments will need more support to meet the needs of asylum-seekers and refugees in the subregion.
 
All countries in West Africa, except Cabo Verde, have adopted legislation on asylum. However, in some instances, the legislative frameworks and the quality and standards of asylum procedures present significant gaps. The lack of resources and high turnover of staff render capacity-building challenging, leading to lengthy asylum procedures and backlogs. These backlogs have a deterrent effect that often cause asylum-seekers to move onwards. Asylum-seekers and refugees also generally lack access to legal aid and counselling, or to psychosocial support, and are not assisted by interpreters. UNHCR continues to undertake activities to improve standards in legislation and national asylum procedures; facilitate the provision of information and free legal assistance to people of concern; and increase capacity-building efforts and support to institutions involved in refugee status determination (RSD).
 
In 2016, UNHCR will continue to explore new options to enable refugees to enjoy their asylum rights while supporting their economic self-sufficiency. This approach, which relies on the political will of governments, has helped achieve solutions, including to the situation of Togolese and other refugees in Benin through the granting of a “privileged residence permit.” In addition, resettlement will be used strategically, including as a protection tool whenever possible. It is important that resettlement be an integral part of comprehensive solutions.

Statelessness

While some populations in West Africa are facing an increasing risk of statelessness, countries in the region generally require further support to address this issue. Based on government figures, UNHCR data and country-specific reports, the Office estimates that currently, at least 1 million people are stateless in West Africa. At present, only Côte d’Ivoire has been providing statistical information; none of the other 14 countries report on statelessness, in large part due to a lack of procedures and mechanisms to systematically collect information. Consequently, UNHCR considers that the current estimates do not reflect the full scope of the statelessness problem in West Africa and it is believed that numbers are in fact considerably higher. Factors contributing to statelessness are manifold and affect all countries across the region. Among the populations at heightened risk of statelessness are people without birth certificates or other forms of identity documentation, abandoned children and undocumented stranded migrants, including their children.
In 2016, UNHCR will be working with governments in West Africa to implement the political commitments made in the Abidjan Declaration that was adopted at the regional ministerial conference in Abidjan on 25 February 2015, and endorsed by heads of State. This Declaration sets the foundation for the goal to end statelessness by 2024 in the ECOWAS region. In 2016, UNHCR will support countries in the subregion with the implementation of their national action plans, including the mapping of stateless populations, the reform of nationality legislation, and the improvement of birth registration systems.

B. Response and Implementation

Operations in Burkina Faso, Côte d’Ivoire, Liberia, Mali and Niger are presented separately. For other countries where UNHCR operates in the subregion, please see below.

In 2016, UNHCR in Benin will focus on strengthening and consolidating the asylum system, in collaboration with the Government. In the area of self-sufficiency, UNHCR will support micro-enterprises, access to microfinance, vocational and technical training, and advocate for the right to work. UNHCR will seek to ensure that people of concern have access to basic services including education, healthcare and medical insurance, and that they are included within national domestic services.
 
In the Gambia, UNHCR will continue to support the local integration of Senegalese refugees in rural areas through the pursuit of legal solutions and support for self-reliance, while a range of solutions strategies (voluntary return, resettlement and local integration) will be utilized in response to the needs of urban refugees of other nationalities.
 
In Ghana, UNHCR will advocate for equal access to national healthcare and education services, as well as State protection services, for all refugees hosted in the country. UNHCR will seek to ensure that each refugee household has a solid livelihood asset base (livelihoods capital) to enable their self-reliance.
 
Refugees in a protracted situation who are willing to remain in Ghana will be given an alternative legal status, through the provision of individual documentation. UNHCR will work to develop a livelihoods and protection-oriented approach to address the situation of the most vulnerable refugees and asylum-seekers.
 
In Guinea, the priority will be to focus on strengthening and improving refugees’ livelihoods and self-sufficiency to prepare them for voluntary repatriation and local integration programmes. As part of the multisectoral assistance programme, UNHCR will facilitate voluntary repatriation operations and the launch of the local integration programme.
 
In Guinea-Bissau, UNHCR will be supporting the naturalization of some 1,000 refugees in 2016 and ensuring that applications for land allocation are submitted and approved. These measures will ensure former refugees are able to fully enjoy citizenship rights such as the right to vote. UNHCR will seek permanent solutions for Senegalese refugees living in rural areas of the country with an emphasis on local integration; and it will work with Government partners to finalize naturalization applications, while supporting the socio-economic integration of refugees through livelihoods and community mobilization.

In Nigeria, UNHCR will prioritize efforts to sustain progress in the area of protection through results-oriented engagement with State authorities and other stakeholders. The objective will be to ensure that people of concern can safely access asylum; and that their applications are fairly and expeditiously processed in accordance with relevant international standards. UNHCR will also carry out awareness-raising campaigns among refugees and asylum-seekers on SGBV prevention and response. The operation will continue to provide support to people with specific needs in the form of livelihoods, temporary shelter and referrals for psychosocial assistance. UNHCR will also provide non-food items, cash grants, temporary caregiving arrangements, referrals for resettlement and facilitation of family reunification. Measures to improve hygiene conditions in refugee hosting areas will continue. These will include provision of sanitary materials for all female refugees of child-bearing age and awareness-raising on personal hygiene.

Senegal will begin the naturalization process for 6,040 people of concern, while resident permits will be provided to 1,825 refugees. The voluntary return of 3,135 refugees will also be pursued in coordination with the Mauritanian Government.
 
In Sierra Leone, UNHCR will continue to ensure the protection of residual refugee populations, working with Government partners to identify and implement durable solutions strategies with an emphasis on the local integration of Liberians and refugees of other nationalities.
 
In Togo, UNHCR will continue to support protection and solutions for urban and rural refugees. Rural activities will focus on supporting the local integration of Ghanaian refugees, while urban programmes will pursue a range of solutions (local integration, voluntary repatriation and resettlement) for Ivorian refugees and refugees and asylum-seekers of various other nationalities.